January 2 2014

January 2 2014
Greetings My Friend,
It is finally here, the New Year so I begin a new again. To me that is a great feeling
starting over with a clean slate. With my energy level more on the rise I find myself
wondering where my journey will take me this year.
Will I be able to go on a mission trip? Will I find a volunteer opportunity? As I get older
having the desire to be doing feels awful nice. I feel connected and useful. I find love
grows in my heart and in love I continue to grow. Yup being old isn't as scary as I once
thought it would be.
Old age teaches me many lessons as well. I learn to slow down and to move at a pace where
I can accomplish things. Gone are the hurry up and wait days. These days I tend to do my
day in slow motion and it works out real nice.
I find moments that I "see" things I never saw before. I see spring from the begining to
the end. Summer flowers come and go and I marvel at the next batch of colors that tend
to burst forth.
As a young person I found many spring days turned into summer before I realized it. I saw
winter as a long long season of despair. Here in VA the winter's aren't as harsh as they
are in MI so I tend to not mind winter. I even find beauty in the snow, the trees with no
leaves and the crunchy looking leaves on the ground in the woods.
As I slow down I also find prayer time to be more frequent. As I keep talking to God I find
peace and an acceptance of who I am. Yup life is sweet in my older years like I never knew it
could be.
This winter arthritis is showing its ugly side all over me. My arm will hurt and bad words form
at the back of my mind. Next I feel it in my foot and those bad words try to come back louder. My
Chronic Fatigue comes out after a day of running and I find myself sitting and napping. I can't help
the sleep it is on me before I know it. I need the sleep so I learn to go with the flow and soon I
will be up and about again.
It has been several months now since my last trip and fall moment. I do find myself being more wobly even
with my cane. It does not scare me though, I accept that I will have moments of where I will fall and it
will hurt and I will move on.
My arthritis in my neck hurts from time to time as well. Who ever said getting old was easy? As my good friend
says "getting old is not for sissies." I think that statement is so right.
As the house comes together after renovating and order once again reins I find housework to be pleasant. I find
my old decorating style and comfort sets in as I view my style again. We live in our 90 year old home and I
marvel at how awesome it is.
When we moved in the original kitchen wood burner stove was still here. I wish it weren't so big because I would
have loved to keep it but we gave it to a niece of the orignal owener. I am happy it is in the family still. We
are trying to keep the look to the look back in the day. For some reason this place feels so nice to me.
It is a good home to grow old in. there is one small step to get on the porch and into the house. Again for our
older years this works real nice. With the wrap around porch there will be plenty of outside space if one of us
is in a wheel chair.
God told us to move from MI to VA and we did. Not a day goes by that I am not thankfull. I marvel at God's amazing
understanding of us and our needs. Junior did not want to retire but his back finally gave out. Out here we could
not find any contractors that wanted to work so Junior began the renovating process on his own. He has loved it as
I have as well. The work is hard for him but as he finishes a project I have such awe and wonder of my man.
Junior is getting to the point that he is tired and the constant renovating needs to slow down. I am not sure if he
will find someone to finish the work or not. We will see. He has had a job for many years now and he has been very
content in his work.
I am not sure where our next project or ministry is going to take us. I know though that my heart is asking God for
His will and somehow we will be moving in His direction not ours and I find comfort in that. What will this year bring
us? I am anxious to see.
May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine on you.
Love
Janet